


A Taste You Left In My Mouth

by accidentalrambler



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, F/M, Hope you like it darling!, Human!Caroline, Klaroline, Klaroline Valentine's Gift Exchange, Klaus comparing Caroline to vintage wine, Pre-Canon, also features Caroline being her organized over-achiever self we know and love, and a self-conscious author who rambles in tags too much, because he's a smooth bastard and also a wine snob, featuring Klaus the 1st Caroline Stan, hybrid!Klaus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 04:47:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9641354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accidentalrambler/pseuds/accidentalrambler
Summary: Human!Caroline travels to Italy with Bill and Steven as an early present for her 18th birthday. Guess who she’s running into…Hint - Original Family is having a little R&R in their Tuscan vineyard.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Joey_Prue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joey_Prue/gifts).



> So I’m mixing it up a little with canon and timeline, meaning Klaus broke his curse in XV (and killed Mikael somewhere along the way as well) and Caroline hasn’t become a vampire after the car accident. Also, Klaus doesn’t know yet that the next doppelganger lives in Mystic Falls.
> 
> I had both an amazing and a bit of a hard time writing this - probably because it's my first pre-canon story. I really hope you like it and that I managed to incorporate what you wanted in your gift :) 
> 
> Happy Klaro-Valentines to you :) !
> 
> P.S. The biggest thank you to purestheartslove for reading this over and offering her thoughts as well as a certain Skype group that cheered me on as I finished this!

* * *

 

**_August 2010, Italy, Tuscany_ **

 

Caroline feels a little bored.

It’s not that she doesn’t like the warm waves of the Mediterranean Sea, the semi-sweet taste of wine on her lips or the admiring glances men throw her way as she’s sunbathing on the beach.

She does.

But this doesn’t change the fact this whole family vacation thing (and how can it be a “family” thing without mom?) is her father’s latest attempt at apology. Not for coming out and causing a scandal of a magnitude Mystic Falls hasn’t witnessed in quite some time. No, Caroline might be considered stupid and shallow by many people back home but she would never want her dad, her parents, her family to live a lie.

It’s for packing his bags and leaving her behind. For one phone call a month and one visit a year, four weeks each summer. For not knowing her _at all_.

For forgetting about her.

Even now, they seem to drift away so naturally, as he’s off visiting a local olive grove with Steven, off having a romantic dinner with Steven, off doing seventeen different things with Steven, things that _couldn’t possibly_ interest Caroline.

And it’s not that she doesn’t like Steven, in fact, she adores him, his easy smile and warm eyes that light up whenever her dad enters the room. But for once, just freaking once, she wishes something her father did was about _her_. Not a mere alleviation of guilt to make himself feel better as he merrily goes on ignoring her existence.

With a sigh, she looks at her phone and turns over to lie on her stomach, exposing her back to the rays of mid-afternoon sun.

The least she can get from this trip is an even, nice shade of tan.

One more glance at her cell reveals exactly no new notifications on any of her social media, besides a few comments under her latest photo, like Bonnie wishing her a great time and some fake compliments from her cheer squad. Not that she’s expected anything more, really, with Matt and her having just broken up and Elena most likely busy deciding which Salvatore brother should be her flavour of a month.

As a mere mortal, she should probably just come to terms with the fact her problems could never compare to those of poor _Elena_.

_Way to spend your holidays bitter, Caroline. Because that’s not shallow at all._

No. She won't. She won't waste her time here on these pointless thoughts.

Looking around for some inspiration, she catches a glimpse of a poster pasted on the beach bar nearby.

 _Bingo_.

With a newfound determination, she springs to her feet and jumps into her mini sundress, but not before meticulously dusting herself from all the sand. Gathering her things, she heads to the bungalow they rent, her steps light and enthusiastic.

It’s high time to bless this town a full-on Caroline Forbes treatment.

* * *

 

He’s been watching her for some time now.

Having stormed out of the villa (there was only so much Kol he could take), Klaus was set on getting a bit of a snack among the swarm of tourists flooding the town for the local food and wine festival. Covered in the shadows of a narrow alley between the buildings, he was about to bite into the jugular of quite a tasty-looking brunette when a loud commandeering voice caught his attention. Glancing up, he let his gaze wander around the town square, searching as his fangs pierced the skin of his victim, warm blood covering his tongue - so delicious when mixed with fear coming off the man in waves. His eyes finally caught a glimpse of blonde curls caressed by sun, then noted the lovely curve of a neck, a distinct line of her clavicles, the edge of her dress teasingly flicking against the skin of her splendid thighs.

She looked delicious.

Feeling the life slowly drain from the man he was feeding on, Klaus retracted his fangs and compelled him to forget what had just happened. Normally, he wouldn’t bother with letting his meal go but this time the blood and fear would suffice.

 _If the body was to be discovered, it could shorten his time with the blonde, after all,_ he reasoned, sweeping the remnants of blood from his mouth and licking off his fingers, then heading out into the sun and towards the girl.

* * *

 

He hasn’t let his eyes stray from her.

Hiding in plain sight with stealth very few possess, he stays in her proximity, listening in on her conversations and studying the expressions flashing through her features. The flexing of her muscles. The unwavering sound of her voice.

She should be just another irritating teenage girl.

But the first glance at something is not always the most accurate one and his gut tells him that beyond the surface, she is anything but.

“Look, it’s not that I want to tell you how to do your job but if you were at least a little competent, I just wouldn’t have to, right? Now go and relocate the vendors according to the chart I gave you two freaking days ago, okay?” She dismisses the poor bloke who happens to be the the festival’s planner with a flick of her hand, then calls over a group of young women hovering nearby. “This is what each stall should look like-,” she says, handing each of them a piece of paper, “-make sure all of them meet these requirements. I will make my rounds later on to double-check everything anyway but it’s no reason for you to not be as thorough as possible.” Her smile is sweet, saccharine even, and Klaus chuckles softly in understanding.

Good minions are so difficult to come by, after all.

“Can I help you?” The sharpness of her voice grazes his skin and he wants to purr in delight. Taking a step in her direction, he schools his features into that of polite curiosity and innocence.

He _is_ capable of looking innocent when he wants to.

“Yes, you! You’ve been practically breathing down my neck for the last 30 minutes. It’s creepy,” she bites out, clearly not falling for his act.

It _might_ be _a tad_ impressive.

“I was merely admiring your organizational skills, love,” Klaus says, letting his lips curve upwards.

The girl rolls her eyes in response. “Bullshit. Look, I’m kind of busy here. So state your business or go away. And tune down the dimples. Seriously.” Comes her impatient reply, a delicate blush creeping up on her cheeks. Her gaze darts back to the papers in her grip as she ticks the boxes on her list.

He takes in an unnecessary breath. He clenches his hands into fists. He takes a step forward, parting his mouth, ready to spit the venom-laced words.

No one - _no one_ \- is allowed to talk to him like this.

He holds her gaze – it would be so easy to compel her, to make her feel what he wants her to feel, steering her actions like a puppet master pulls just at the right strings – but decides that it’d be royally boring to go down this path. And if there’s something Klaus particularly appreciates, it’s a good challenge.

Anybody else and he would rip their head off, witnesses or not, but with her, with that fierceness pursing the line of her lovely lips and anger tinging her eyes dark, he just cannot bring himself to do it.

Perhaps it’s a mere curiosity or perhaps it’s the exhilaration that he feels when she speaks, a rush of blood that prickles just under his skin but for now – she lives.

“As a matter of fact, I do have a proposition for you, love,” he says, drawing out the words with an audible lilt, determined to lure her in.

She looks him over, from head to toe, yet her eyes remain cold, withdrawn as she counters, “Not interested.” It seems like she’s in control of her features, a cool mask of indifference worn by a high school Queen B. And yet -

There’s that blush again. Staining the ivory skin of her neck, meshing with the peach shade of her cheeks. She must be more interested than she’s letting on.

“Are you, now? What if I told you it’s a summer job I’m offering?” Klaus coaxes further, eyebrow tipping up in a challenge.

Her eyes are like a prism glimmering with a range of emotions that she can’t hold back and now he knows for sure that he’s managed to pique her interest.

“I’m listening.”

Tucking his victorious smile into the corner of his mouth, a slight crease of skin the only sign of his glee, Klaus goes into detail of his offer. “You see, my family has this vineyard…” he starts, revealing as much as he needs of his family so as not to sound suspicious - but not much else.

She listens carefully and - inevitably - agrees and they shake hands, his palm against hers, so soft and warm that Klaus cannot refrain from running his thumb along her knuckles, and he can hear a little hitch in her breath and feel a shiver that courses down her body.

“I’m Klaus,” he introduces himself, watches her mouth part slightly, his name a cautious whisper as she tries it out.

“Caroline,” she shots back and he savours it, flicking his tongue along his lower lip as if he could lick at the aftertaste it’s left there.

_Pretty little Caroline._

His wolf howls to life, intoxicated by the feeling it hasn’t felt for a very long time.

The thrill of the chase.

* * *

 

He never hears the end of it from his siblings.

He would dagger them all if it weren’t for Elijah hiding all his daggers. Once he comes back from his Brazilian voyeurs with that pesky doppelganger, Klaus will be the one to never let him hear the end of his complaints.

Although Katerina making him dance salsa and pour cachaça down his throat from dusk till dawn might be just enough of a punishment for his stuffy older brother.

“Let me get this straight - you hired a _teenager_ to help manage the vineyard?” Kol’s mocking tone slices through the silence in his study, his pest of a brother intruding on his solitude yet again since finding out this particular piece of news. “Was your charm not enough to tempt her, Nik? How tragic.”

 _Bloody hell._ He’ll dagger Elijah and the rest of them, it’s been decided.

“Piss off before I tear your head off, Kol.”

A low amused whistle. “Someone's touchy.”

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Klaus puts down the brush and turns to his brother, mindful to block the easel from Kol’s view - he doesn’t need more teasing about _who_ he’s painting. “We need help with the vineyard and she seems perfectly capable. That’s it. I don’t need to explain myself to you,” he states, pinching his nose.

Kol’s answer comes with an outburst of laughter. “Nice try, Nik! Need I remind you how filthy rich we are? We can drain this place of all the wine and never sell a bottle and it won’t make a dent in our cash reserve.”

Inwardly, Klaus cannot help but agree with this sentiment. After centuries of accumulating wealth, there’s not much that can endanger their fortune and pesky human conventions like taxes are nothing a little compulsion can’t fix. But he’d rather stake himself than admit it to Kol. Instead, he says, “And need I remind you, _little brother_ , that while we might be filthy rich, as you’ve put it, we still need at least some of our businesses to keep the money coming. Steadily.”

Kol just grins wider at that, looking at him in delighted disbelief. “This is just too good. You have a crush on a human teenage girl! Oh, just wait till Rebekah hears about it, I swear - “

A loud crack reverberates against the room as Klaus vamp-speeds to his brother and snaps his neck, a lifeless body slumping to the floor. Stepping over the temporary corpse, he heads outside, hoping a run in his wolf form will help him clear his head.

Hiring Caroline was an impulse and he doesn’t act on impulse (yes, _he does_ ). He can’t find an answer for why he didn’t just lure her into the nearest alley and drain her from all her blood. It would be so easy and thrilling at the same time and there was a moment when he felt his fangs ache at the promise of her taste but then -

Then she looked at him with those ocean blue eyes, a storm of determination and drive and longing and something else that tugged at that one hidden string inside of him and now Klaus finds that it will be so much more thrilling to peel off her layers, slowly, one by one, before getting a taste. And it might’ve been an impulse but now he plans how to play this game because he wants, he wants -

 _Her_.

* * *

 

It’s been an impulsive decision.

Saying yes to Klaus.

Caroline’s not really sure why she did it when she was doing her best to ignore his crimson lips and that sexy accent.

And don’t even get her started on the frigging _dimples_.

Her parents used to tell her, again and again, how her natural curiosity would get her into trouble someday. That she should always keep in mind what a dangerous place the world can be. Well...That might turn out to be true but right now Caroline’s too excited about this new project to care.

It is a _project_ she’s most excited about, of course.

* * *

 

She’s interfering with  _ everything _ .

Caroline’s seemed to forget that he only hired her to manage the vineyard and has set her sights on turning their entire household upside down, butting heads with Rebekah in the process.

She’s reshuffled schedule for their whole stuff so that everyone has at least one day a week off, merely saying ‘ _ that’s not how we do it in America _ ’ when noticing his glare.

She’s locked them out of the wine cellars, claiming they’ll never make a profit if they keep drinking up all of their produce. 

She’s invaded his study and rearranged his paintings in order, according to categories of style, worth and colouring.

A blush of deep crimson that adorned her face when she discovered a few drawings and a painting of her was all the retribution Klaus got for this particular offence.

Yet strangely, he doesn’t regret his decision one bit. Their verbal sparring shackles the villa and he has to endure Kol’s insufferable jokes about them bickering like an old married couple. Rebekah tests his patience with her whining daily - but at least she’s stopped with the death threats after his enraged response to the first one she’s made against Caroline. 

With her inquiring mind and curiosity, it’s a miracle she hasn’t found out their secret yet, with a corpse or two being cleaned out from Kol’s room weekly and Klaus' own tendency for rage blood-binging. 

He’s fascinated by that mind of hers, how it works, what makes her tick - she’s a teenage girl on vacation but she spends her days working, turning their vineyard into a well-oiled machine in a span of two weeks. She’s confident but gets flustered when he shows interest in her life and hopes and dreams, she’s neurotic but it doesn’t lessen her charm, she’s kind but doesn’t tolerate mistakes.

Naturally, he does a background check on her - by himself, not trusting any of his minions to do it, unwilling to let anyone know of the depth of his interest in the young blonde.

It’s chilling to find out she’s from Mystic Falls, a fact too grand to be merely a coincidence. Klaus doesn’t believe in coincidences. And when he decides to observe her even closer, that’s the only reason for it - or so he tells himself. 

The rest of information paints an equally interesting picture.

Miss Mystic Falls. Cheerleading captain. Head of the numerous committees. Divorced parents. 

Klaus knows there’s an intriguing little story behind all of this but he wants to hear it from Caroline.

Almost as much as he wants to hear her scream his name.

* * *

 

She’s busy cataloguing their best vintages when he finds her, his fit lean body propped against the doorframe, a bottle of wine in his hand.

He tilts his head, watching her with a gaze so focused it feels like her skin is on fire. “Hello, Caroline,” he says and she feels heat pulling in her lower belly at the sound of his raspy voice.

“Klaus.” She nods, hoping her lack of enthusiasm will steer him away. 

Except she’s also kind of hoping that he will stay.

He bounces off the wall and moves forward, his presence filling the room in a way that makes it hard for Caroline to breathe. There’s just something about Klaus, how he walks like a predator and speaks in a tone that demands full attention. He’s a magnetic force she’s trying very hard to fight.

Except she’s not. Not really.

“Since you’re making an inventory of our wine, love, I thought a taste of our best vintage is in order.” The words leave his mouth in an alluring rasp as he puts the bottle on the wine barrel and produces two glasses out of the cabinet in the corner of the cellar.

“And I thought I told you what I think of endearments.”

“Completely unprofessional - if I recall correctly. Come now,  _ Caroline _ , you’ve locked yourself out here for the entire morning, you deserve a little break,” he says, a hint of glee in his eyes and dimples cutting into his cheeks.

Those dimples - she was  _ so not _ immune to them.

Pretending to read through her notes, Caroline weighs her options. She  _ knows  _ Klaus is dangerous, even if his appearance suggests otherwise. But ironically, she doesn’t think she’s ever felt safer than here with him, caressed by the warmth of Tuscan sun and his gaze that seems to follow her everywhere, whatever she does. He might seem irritated by her interferences sometimes but in the end, he’s given her a free hand, clearly interested in what else she’ll come up with. It’s like he really knows her - or takes time to get to know her and to pay attention, something she’s certainly not accustomed to.

Her friends back home continue with radio-silence. So does her mother. Her dad and Steven see her leave the hotel for whole days and don’t question it. They’re just relieved the trouble is off their backs. 

The words fall off her tongue before she can stop them, “Fine.”

“Your enthusiasm is warming my heart, sweetheart.”

“I’m not here to warm your anything,  _ sweetheart _ .”

Klaus chuckles at her retort, the sound rich and vibrant, making her lips twitch into a ghost of a smile as well. “Touché.” Opening the bottle, he trains his eyes on her as she walks over to the makeshift barrel-table, then playfully smacks her hand away when she makes a move to fill their glasses. “Don’t be hasty, love. It needs to breathe for a while.”

There’s a subtle flutter in her stomach at the touch and Caroline flexes her hand, as if she could get rid of the imprint left by his fingers the same way she does with a knot in her neck. She lets out a small grunt, asks the first thing that comes to her mind, “So what are we drinking exactly?”

“Morellino. 1911. A remarkable vintage.”

“And what’s so special about it?”

“Well- ” Klaus trails off, pouring some of the beverage into their empty glasses, “- look at the colour, love.”

She does just that, letting out a disappointed sigh. “It is a bit too pale for a red wine? A bit...dull.”

Klaus smiles knowingly under his nose, stirs the glass and raises it towards the dim light in the ceiling, motions for her to do the same. “And now?

Squinting her eyes, she focuses on the liquid, a short gasp escaping her throat. “It...got darker. With deep reds and crimsons and clarets. It’s beautiful.”

“It is.” His whisper brushes against her ear and her eyes skip to Klaus immediately, and he’s only inches away, looking at  _ her _ , his gaze fixed on  _ her  _ lips. “Now taste it,” he demands in a low hoarse voice and drinks from his glass.

Hypnotized, Caroline follows his lead, her mouth flooded with rich, fruity flavour as she sneaks a glance at Klaus, mesmerized with his raspberry lips stained with wine, his tongue darting out to lick the remnants of taste. The room feels heavy with silence and she can hear the frantic beat of her own heart thumping in her ears. It’s a flicker of movement but it seems he’s inched closer to her, only to back away momentarily as if he’s changed his mind about something.

The sound of Klaus clearing his throat cuts through the silence and the moment’s gone. “What did you taste?”

It takes her a minute to find her voice. “Uhm...At first it was bland, just like with the colour, but then it turns a little sharp and tart, and then - “

“Then - “ Klaus cuts in, “it smooths into something rich and vibrant and dark.” He holds her gaze as he goes on, “It will never be mellow, or pleasant, or mild. But it’s an essence that floods your taste buds and lingers on your tongue, that makes you close your eyes and savour the feeling it leaves as it coats your lips.” His fingers brush against the loose strand of hair on her forehead and he tucks it behind her ear, then skims along the curve of her lobe, a move that draws a soft moan out of her mouth. “It’s a taste that stays with you for a very long time. Haunts you until nothing else can quench the thirst.”

Her lungs constrict and breath gets stuck in her throat, but Caroline doesn’t fight for air, she just wonders - 

How can a man that knows her for a short nick of her life sink so deep into her most secret thoughts and fears, proclaiming a truth she’s always wanted to know about herself, such calm demeanour for something so profound.

She’s not entirely sure but it must be her who jerks forward first and then Klaus’ lips are on neck, his tongue laving a path up - up - up to her chin, sharp teeth grazing her jaw and her fingers lace through the dirty blond curls, tugging and pulling, so that his mouth finally collides with hers. They knock over the wine barrel, glass shattering on the hard stone floor just like Caroline shatters in his arms. 

Klaus pins her to the wall, his hand gripping her thigh and pulling her leg against his hipbone, and he presses himself into her, the hardening line of his cock against her throbbing core, his lips descending to her collarbone as he sucks a small patch of skin into his mouth. She whimpers, rolling her hips almost subconsciously as she seeks more friction and her hands are busy roaming up and down his back, and she curses the shirt he’s wearing because she just wants his bare skin against her touch. She’s finally focused enough to inch away and get rid of it when Klaus bites into one of her most sensitive spots, her eyes clenching shut and she cannot - does not want to - stop his name rolling off her tongue.

_ Klaus _ .

It happens so fast - suddenly his warmth is gone, and she’s burning where he's kissed her, too hot for the cold of the cellar that settles on her skin. Her ragged breathing is the only sound in the room and Caroline knows that when she opens her eyes, Klaus won’t be there.

A pang of disappointment still twists her insides when she finally does.

And he’s nowhere to be found.

* * *

 

_ “I loathe this girl but you have to tell her, Nik.” _ \- Rebekah’s words still ring in his ears when Klaus knocks on the door of a rented bungalow. 

His sister can be annoyingly right sometimes.

He lost control yesterday, biting Caroline just a tad too hard and when an overwhelming taste of her blood hit his tongue, he knew he wouldn’t be able to withhold his true nature from her.

Truly embarrassing, how he’s reverted to a horny teenager all because of a  _ human girl. _

Even one as remarkable as Caroline.

No one answers and dread sinks low in his stomach, a feeling that something is terribly wrong. 

It’s an instinct that saved his family many times in the centuries.

Steps light and soft, Klaus enters and takes in the surroundings, anger roiling inside of him as he goes from room to room and finds them all empty.

_ She’s left. _

He knocks over the table.

_ She’s gone. _

He yanks the door off its hinges.

_ She has run away from him. _

Smirk twists his lips as Klaus takes a look around the devastated room. Caroline might think she can just leave him and never say a word but he knows where she lives. He can know everything about her.

There’s no escaping him.

All he needs is a new plan.

* * *

 

At least she got a window seat.

Caroline didn’t even have time to ponder  _ the kiss _ when she got back from the Mikaelsons last night. She was welcomed with the sight of her father and Steven frantically moving around the bungalow, throwing their stuff in the suitcase in a manner that offended Caroline on a spiritual level.

She definitely wouldn’t call it packing.

She yelled and insisted but they would offer her no explanations for their sudden departure.

_ Pack your things, Caroline. Ask no questions, Caroline. I will explain later, now’s not the time, Caroline.  
_

She didn’t even have time to say goodbye.

Perhaps it’s for the best though. Vacation flings aren’t meant to last. Even if for some reason, it seems so wrong to think of what she had with Klaus as a fling.

_ What a foolish thought - they didn’t really have anything at all. _

And yet, as she runs her tongue along her teeth and the roof of her mouth, Caroline finds herself thinking of Morellino - and Klaus.

It seems some tastes can linger for a really long time.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and please tell me what you thought :) I know I left this a bit (a LOT) open-ended but I might write part 2 in a future if anyone's interested ;)


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